The Political Left Rolls with the Good; The Political Right Confronts the Bad: Physiology and Cognition in Politics

Authors

Michael D. Dodd, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Amanda Balzer, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Carly M. Jacobs, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Michael W. Gruszczynski, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Kevin B. Smith, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
John R. Hibbing, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-5-2012

Volume

367

Issue

1589

Journal

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London – Biological Sciences

First Page

640

URL with Digital Object Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frstb.2011.0268

Last Page

649

Abstract

We report evidence that individual-level variation in people's physiological and attentional responses to aversive and appetitive stimuli are correlated with broad political orientations. Specifically, we find that greater orientation to aversive stimuli tends to be associated with right-of-centre and greater orientation to appetitive (pleasing) stimuli with left-of-centre political inclinations. These findings are consistent with recent evidence that political views are connected to physiological predispositions but are unique in incorporating findings on variation in directed attention that make it possible to understand additional aspects of the link between the physiological and the political.

Notes

Dodd, Michael, Amanda (Friesen) Balzer, Carly M. Jacobs, Michael W. Gruszczynski, Kevin B. Smith, and John R. Hibbing. March 5, 2012. “The Political Left Rolls with the Good; The Political Right Confronts the Bad: Physiology and Cognition in Politics.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London – Biological Sciences 1589. 640-649.

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